10.10.09

JIM WILLIAMSON

Jim Williamson, who opened the renowned Northern Snooker Centre in Leeds 35 years ago, has died after a long illness.

He was one of the unsung heroes of snooker and billiards and his club is regarded as one of the best in the country.

Williamson attended last month's World Billiards Championship final at the Northern and was thanked in a speech by Mike Russell, the nine times champion, for the commitment he had shown to the sport - long before the television boom of the 1980s brought about an increase in snooker clubs around the UK.